Which translated means I wrote it on a piece of scrap paper and shoved it in my folder of recipes that I plan to make some day. 

Today’s the day for this crazy good recipe I found on Gilt Taste.

It all begins with flame roasting the tomatillos and jalapenos. 

A pair of tongs and an open flame is all you need.  If you don’t have either you could use your grill or broiler.  Charring them gives a nice smoky flavor to the salsa turned guacamole.

Once charred the stems and seeds are removed from the jalapenos, then it’s into the food processor to be pureed with the tomatillos, onion, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and salt. 

Minced garlic is sautéed in a little olive oil then the tomatillo mixture is stirred into it, giving you a fabulous roasted salsa verde.  But why stop there.

Adding diced creamy avocados, a sprinkling of fine diced red onion, and a pinch of cumin completely transforms this dip. 

The salsa was great, the guacamole is worlds above that.  We served our Fire Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole with Homemade Flour Tortilla Chips.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Fire Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole

Course Appetizer

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Francis Lam, Gilt Taste

Ingredients

• 4-5 to matillos about 6-ounces, papery husks removed
• 2-3 jalapenos
• 1/4 cup onion chopped
• 1 cup cilantro leaves plus more for garnish
• 1 lime
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 4 tsp. olive oil
• 3 avocados very ripe
• 1 Tbl. lemon or lime juice
• 2 Tbl. red onion very fine diced
• pinch of ground cumin
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• Using a pair of tongs, flame roast the tomatillos until they are lightly charred on all sides. Place them in the bowl of a food processor.
• Char the jalapenos the same way. Once cooled, trim off the stem and remove the seeds and ribs. Dice the peppers and add to the food processor.
• Add onion, cilantro, the juice of 1 lime, and a generous pinch of salt to the food processor and pulse until it’s pureed. Adjust salt if needed.
• In a small pan, add the olive oil and sauté the garlic over medium heat until it’s golden brown. Remove from the heat. Stir it into the tomatillo puree until the oil incorporates. Add a pinch of cumin and 2 Tbl. fine diced red onion.
• Split the avocados, remove the pit, then using a large spoon scoop out flesh from each half. Cut flesh into 1/4″ to 1/2″ sized cubes. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice to keep them from turning brown. Season with salt. Gently fold into the salsa. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

And IF there’s any leftover the next day, Fire Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole with Eggs makes a lovely breakfast.

The post Fire Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Pozole Verde.

Pork & Hominy Stew with Fire Roasted Tomatillos & Peppers.

Punchy.  Earthy.  Unctuous.  Bright Flavors.  Oh how we love you Pozole.

So for this Pozole Verde recipe below, I simply list 2 pounds of Boston butt pork roast, cooked & cubed.  You can easily cook Boston butt in a Dutch oven, crock pot, oven or smoker.  Or if you prefer you can substitute cooked chicken.

Fire roasting veggies imparts a nice smokiness to their flavor which pairs perfectly with Pozole.  The key is to char the skins.  I often use our gas stove top to roast poblanos, jalapenos and corn.  Just turn them with metal tongs until blackened on all sides.  However, because the tomatillos become very soft when cooked I decided to broil the entire tray.

The blistered tomatillos were ready for the blender.  I steamed the peppers in a covered bowl for 5 minutes to help loosen their skins.  Simply run under cool water and remove skins, stems and seeds.  Into the blender they go.

A traditional ingredient in Pozole (Posole) are toasted pumpkin seeds.  A few minutes in a dry cast-iron skillet brings them to life, releasing their natural oils and nutty flavor.  I also toasted cumin seeds for a couple minutes…oh so fragrant.

What’s shown in the blender above is the most awe-mazing Verde Sauce or Salsa Verde.  Just the right balance of heat (back of the tongue) with punchy flavor.  I believe I was granted a new level of respect today.

“Be sure you’ve written this all down, the possibilities for this verde sauce are endless.” :-)

The broth of Pozole Verde is awe-mazin’ and always what I’m most interested in.  I however also love that pozole is a lot about the garnishes.  We chose lime wedges, diced avocado, onion, radish, roasted corn, sour cream, verde sauce, shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro, and tortilla chips.  Yup.  The garnishes elevate this dish.

I {heart} pozole.

All my best,
xo Libby

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Pozole Verde

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 8 -10

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For pozole verde…

• 2 lbs. Boston butt pork roast cooked & cubed (see recipe link in post)
• 1 lb. tomatillos husks removed
• 2 poblano peppers
• 3 jalapeno peppers
• 2 banana peppers
• 1 small onion peeled and left whole
• 1 medium onion fine diced
• 2 ears corn optional
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 Tbl. cumin seeds
• 3-4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves plus more for garnish
• 6 cups chicken stock divided
• 1 Tbl. canola oil
• 1 29- ounce can white hominy drained & rinsed
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. chile powder
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt or to taste

For garnishes…

• shredded cabbage fresh cilantro, lime wedges, fine diced onion, diced avocado, sliced radish, sour cream, roasted corn kernels (optional), extra verde sauce, tortilla chips

Instructions

For pozole verde…

• Cook Boston butt pork roast, recipe link in post.
• Preheat oven to broil.
• Place tomatillos, poblano peppers, jalapenos, banana peppers, 1 small onion, and corn (optional) on shallow rimmed baking sheet. Place on rack positioned 10-12 inches below broiler. Broil until skins are charred on one side. Turn everything over and continue broiling until well charred on all sides; about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seed and dry toast for 2-3 minutes, shaking pan often until fragrant. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Remove from pan into a mortar and pestle to grind fine. Add pumpkin seeds to cast-iron skillet and toast for 3-4 minutes until slightly golden. Remove from pan and add to a food processor. Grind until fine. Reserve.
• Remove vegetable tray from oven. Transfer tomatillos and onion to blender. Place peppers in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to steam for 5 minutes. Run under cool water, removing skins, stems and seeds. Place flesh in blender. Add garlic, cilantro, ground cumin and pumpkin seeds, along with 1 cup of chicken broth. Blend until well combined.
• Heat 1 Tbl. oil in Dutch oven or large soup pot. Add half of diced onion and sauté until translucent; about 5 minutes. Pour in all but 1/2 cup of blended tomatillo mixture. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Add in hominy, cubed pork, oregano, chili powder, salt & pepper. Heat through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• Ladle pozole into individual bowls, then pass garnishes.

For garnishes…

• Prepare assorted garnishes in small dishes that can be passed.

The post Pozole Verde appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

We’ve taken our beloved Jalapeno Poppers to a new level.  Or maybe two new levels.  Or is it three?  We infused the cheese filling with buffalo wing sauce.  We wrapped them in bacon.  And then we threw our Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Poppers on the smoker grill.

I hadn’t intended to share these here, thus no fancy pictures.  But after the first bite, there was no way I could hold out.

Recipe Tip:  For less than $10.00, you can buy a box of a bazillion disposable gloves (at least 100).  When we first did just that, I thought it was a kind of funny, and may or may not have snickered just a bit every time we put them on.  I now must admit, I love wearing them when working with raw chicken, making meatloaf, or handling hot peppers.  For this recipe, I wore them for the entire process.  They were great for mixing the cheese mixture, then filling the peppers, and finally wrapping the bacon.

Slice the jalapenos in half lengthwise.  Using a small pairing knife, remove the seeds and membrane.  At this point, I either steam or boil the pepper for a few minutes.  This insures that they get cooked and thus are easier to eat.  Just cool before filling.  Combine cream cheese, shredded Monterey jack cheese, and buffalo wing sauce (we love Franks RedHot).  Mound the cheese mixture on each jalapeno half, then wrap a strip of bacon around each.

It was Sunday, and for us that means rolling the smoker grill out of the garage and fully loading it.  If you don’t have a smoker, these can be cooked over indirect heat on your outdoor grill, or you can bake them in the oven.

I smuggled a few of these out of the house this morning to share with a few of my work mates.  They were a hit!  We might just have a new Game Day favorite recipe.

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Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Poppers

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 5 jalapeno peppers
• 4 ounces cream cheese softened
• 4 ounces Monterey jack cheese shredded
• 1/4 cup Franks REDHOT sauce or your favorite
• 10 strips of bacon

Instructions

• Preheat smoker or oven to 350 degrees.
• Slice jalapenos in half lengthwise, using a small pairing knife, remove seeds and membrane. Parboil or steam for 3-4 minutes, drain and cool.
• Meanwhile, combine softened cream cheese, shredded cheese and buffalo sauce. Fill each pepper half with cheese mixture. Wrap each stuffed pepper with a strip of bacon. Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes or until bacon begins to crisp.

The post Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Poppers appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I took yesterday off from work to cook.  That was the sole purpose of my day and I was in heaven.  I’ve shared often that my work family loves to eat.  In fact, everyone either loves to eat or loves to cook (or both).  Which makes for some great special occasion spreads.  Today we celebrated Mardi Gras with a giant pot of Chili Gumbo and a platter of Mardi Gras Wings.  It was a good day.

I was a bit nervous at the thought of making gumbo.  I had some true Cajuns to feed and by no means wanted to compete with what they grew up on.  That would require making roux, from ingredients not already in my pantry (fee-lee, fii-lee, fo)…which would inevitably require me to leave my house and my pj’s.  Remember, I took the day off to avoid such things.

So instead I first sought out a gumbo recipe that would utilize some of the pounds and pounds of Andouille sausage in my freezer.  Long story short, we helped rescue a Trader Joe’s freezer truck filled with bacon and sausage.  It was the least we could do.

So while looking for a recipe that didn’t require file powder, I stumbled upon this beauty for Chili Gumbo.  Great flavor combinations that came together easily.  I highly recommend this recipe, which got a thumbs up today from my work family.

Did I mention I was cooking to feed my entire work family?  The Chili Gumbo recipe listed below is doubled from the original and easily fed twenty people.

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Chili Gumbo

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 20

Author adapted from Abbie Argersi via Food52

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 dried Guajillo chilis
• 1 dark beer
• 30 ounces Chicken Andouille Sausage or favorite
• 2 Tbl. olive oil
• 3 Tbl. ground cumin
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 2 onions diced (about 4 cups)
• 4-5 jalapeno peppers diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 4 celery ribs diced (about 2 cups)
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 Tbl. chili powder
• 1 30- ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 14.5- ounce can diced tomatoes
• 3-4 cups beef broth
• 3 Tbl. red wine vinegar
• 3-4 Tbl. Cajun seasoning according to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place flour in a baking dish. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until golden brown, stirring every 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove stems and seeds from dried peppers and chop them fine. Place in bowl and pour in beer. Set aside.
• In a large skillet place Andouille sausage in one-inch of water. Heat over medium heat, turning once until water evaporates. Remove sausage and slice them. Brown them in oil then remove from the pan. Add cumin to pan and toast for one minute before adding ground beef. Season beef with salt & pepper and brown. Remove from pan and reserve with Andouille.
• Add the onions to the pan and cook them for 5 minutes. Add in celery, jalapenos and garlic; cook mixture until just softened. Add the vegetable oil, toasted flour and chili powder; stir for 3-4 minutes.
• Add in diced tomatoes, chilis and beer, and cooked meats with their juices. Add 3 cups of beef broth, red wine vinegar and 3 Tbl. Cajun seasoning (or more to taste). Simmer for at least 30 minutes. If too thick, add additional cup of beef broth.
• Serve with cooked white rice, lime wedges, fresh cilantro, and Louisiana Hot Sauce

The post Chili Gumbo appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Our Jalapeno Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole is a spin off of a very popular and delicious recipe.  I enjoyed it at a luncheon recently and it’s been on my mind ever since.  According to an internet search, it seems to have been recreated at least a bazillion times.  Here’s our version, based on ingredients already in our fridge and pantry.

If you’ve been following Lemony Thyme for a bit you may know that we cook a whole chicken each week.  We enjoy a wonderful roast chicken dinner on day one, then use the leftover chicken to make soups, salads, casseroles and of course Homemade Chicken Broth.  This week’s whole roasted chicken was prepared on our new smoker grill.  It was fantastic.  Just look at that beautiful bird.

We had so much meat leftover and an insatiable urge for comfort food that in about 30 minutes we were chin deep in Jalapeno Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole without a care in the world.

Most of what makes comfort food so comfortable is not having to rush to the grocery store for ingredients, not to mention the money you save every day you can avoid walking through those doors.  I have so many friends tell me that their family won’t eat leftovers.  My answer, stop feeding them leftovers.  Turn last night’s dinner into something new and fresh.

We had leftover chicken and a little cooked pasta on hand.  From there we worked with available ingredients.  If you don’t keep cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup on hand, Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup is really easy to make from scratch with simple ingredients.  We’ve got two very productive jalapeno plants growing in one of our porch pots, so we added in a bit of fresh diced jalapeno to our sliced mushrooms.  You could substitute or add sautéed onions, carrots, celery…all would be great additions.  We used sour cream, but half as much cream cheese would work as well.  The key is to work with what you’ve got on hand.

Bottom line, savory ingredients combined with a creamy sauce, topped with buttery cracker crumbs is pretty hard not to love.  Jalapeno Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole may not be made the same way twice, but it will always be delicious.

And comfortable.

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Jalapeno Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked chicken cubed
• 2 cups cooked pasta we used corkscrews
• 1 Tbl. butter
• 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1-2 jalapenos fine diced
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 Tbl. poppy seeds
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 can cream of chicken soup or see link in post for Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 Tbl. butter melted
• 2 cups crushed buttery crackers

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 2-quart casserole with olive oil.
• In a large skillet, sauté mushrooms and jalapeno in 1 Tbl. butter and thyme until tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add in almonds, poppy seeds, sour cream, and chicken soup. Stir well to combine, then fold in cooked chicken and pasta. Pour into baking dish.
• In a small bowl combined cracker crumbs with 1 Tbl. melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over chicken mixture. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until bubbly.

The post Jalapeno Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

You know that little local Mexican joint that has become your convenient fast lunch or after-work margarita spot.  Mine closed down without even as much as a good-bye whisper.  While there wasn’t anything extra special about this place, their Beef, Bean & Cheese Nachos with Jalapeños became one of my favorite comfort foods.

I’ve never made Beef, Bean & Cheese Nachos at home before now.  I never needed to.  I may never order them out again.

Start with good quality THIN tortilla chips.  There is no comparison.

Brown your ground beef in a skillet, using a wooden spoon to break it into fine pieces.  Remember nice and fine, don’t be afraid to add a little water to help the beef break down.  Season it to taste with chili powder, cumin, ground oregano, cayenne, salt & pepper.

Make restaurant style Queso Blanco cheese dip.  You know the ultra mild & creamy white cheese dip that comes to the table almost too thin to stick to anything.  Yet before you know it, you’re dipping everything in your reach into the bowl…as it magically thickens to a perfect consistency.  Yes, make a batch of that dip.

For the beans, straight out of a can isn’t going to do it here.  Too thick.  Begin with a can of your favorite refried beans, then add a 1/2 cup of sour cream and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.  Heat through and notice how creamy the beans become.  That’s what we’re talking about.

Pile chips with beef, beans, cheese and jalapeños (optional); repeat.  Bake until cheese is bubbly and just beginning to brown.

I couldn’t wait to tell the girls at the office that I had recreated our favorite Beef, Bean & Cheese Nachos with Jalapeños.  Even though we all had our own way of ordering these (some without beans, some with beans but no jalapeños) we shared a common love of this dish.  No matter how long a week it had been we could count on these nachos to ease our minds and please our palates.  I’m happy to announce ~ Nacho Party at the office very soon.  xo Libby

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Beef, Bean & Cheese Nachos {with Jalapeños}

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 bag good quality thin tortilla chips
• 2 jalapenos thinly sliced

For the ground beef…

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• pinch cayenne

For the cheese dip…

• 1 lb. white American cheese cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 cup fine diced jalapeno optional

For the refried beans…

• 1 can refried beans
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese Monterey jack or cheddar

Instructions

• Brown your ground beef in a skillet, using a wooden spoon to break it into fine pieces. Remember nice and fine, don’t be afraid to add a tablespoon or two of water to help the beef break down. Season it to taste with chili powder, cumin, ground oregano, cayenne, salt & pepper. Drain well.
• In a microwaveable bowl, add the cubed American cheese, butter and milk. Microwave in one minute intervals, stirring in between until cheese has melted. Stir in cumin, garlic powder and finely diced jalapeno if desired.
• Heat beans in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sour cream and cheese and continuing cooking until combined.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• On an oven proof baking sheet, pile chips with beef, beans, cheese and sliced jalapeños (optional); repeat. Bake until cheese is bubbly and just beginning to brown, about 10 – 15 minutes.

The post Beef, Bean & Cheese Nachos {with Jalapeños} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I wanted to make a grilled cheese sandwich using fresh strawberries, a hunk of brie, and fresh basil growing like crazy in our Aero-Garden.  I needed one more component to seal the meal :) As soon as I saw this recipe from Savory Simple I was hooked.  Strawberry Jalapeno Skillet Jam you are my shining star.

This was my first attempt at jam making.  I loved that the recipe required no special skills, equipment or ingredients.  Strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and jalapeños are all that’s needed.

I sliced and sugared my strawberries as I would for strawberry short cake, then put them in the refrigerator for a couple hours.  They released the most glorious syrup that would later cook down to create our Strawberry Jalapeño Skillet Jam.

While my motivation to make this jam was to use as a spread on our Strawberry, Basil & Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich, the end result was too good not to share.  The flavor reminded us of sweet and spicy pepper relish that’s so wonderful served over a block of cream cheese with crackers.

That’s when we decided we would {Share the Love} and deliver a jar to a friend to enjoy during the nibble hour.  Looking forward to our next batch of Skillet Jam as fresh produce begins to arrive at our Farmers Market.

The post Strawberry Jalapeno Skillet Jam appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Italian Sausage Soup {with Mushrooms, Onions & Peppers}.

Like many of our favorites, this recipe happened by accident.  While making one of our go-to week night meals (Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Sausage with onions, peppers, mushrooms, and diced tomatoes) I came to realize my favorite part of the dish was the broth.  The awe-mazing broth. 

So why not build on those wonderful flavors and turn that dish into this Italian Sausage Soup {with Mushrooms, Onions & Peppers} soup recipe.  I’m all in.  One-pot, these ingredients, not a lot of words….just flavor building.

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Italian Sausage Soup {with Mushrooms, Onions & Peppers}

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 -10

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. Jennie-O Hot Italian Turkey Sausage
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 2 medium onions diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 pound mushrooms quartered
• 12 ounces sweet peppers diced
• 2 jalapeno fine diced
• 6-8 garlic cloves peeled & chopped
• 1 30- ounce can diced tomatoes preferably No Salt Added
• 2 cups fat-free chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• 6 ounces small pasta prepared according to pkg. directions
• Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven. Add in sausage links and brown, 3-4 minutes per side. Meanwhile slice and dice onions, mushrooms and peppers.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add in onions, mushrooms, peppers, and garlic; cover and allow to cook down for 15 minutes or until just tender.
• Add in tomatoes, broth and seasoning; allow to simmer gently for 20 minutes. Meanwhile prepare pasta according to package instructions.
• Adjust seasoning to taste. Slice sausage into chunks before serving. Place warm pasta in bowls, topped with a ladle or two of hot soup. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Serve with toasted Italian bread.

Notes

We love pasta in soups when cooked separately and added late to the dish. Otherwise the pasta wants to drink up that awe-mazing broth.
The fresh spinach shown in the ingredients picture, never made it into this batch of soup. I would add it just a couple minutes before serving.

The post Italian Sausage Soup {with Mushrooms, Onions & Peppers} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I vowed to stay out of Publix for a week following the holidays.  I called home as I entered the store to admit to my failures.  The words on the other end were few.  “Damn it Lib ;)  Pick up a pork butt and I’ll forgive you.”

We threw this 3 1/2 lb. bad boy (aka Boston Butt Pork Roast) in the crockpot with a jar of diced jalapeños.  Set it on high and walked away for 5 hours.  Oh my, oh wow.  I know you all love our Pepperoncini Pot Roast, you MUST give this one a try!!  Couldn’t be any easier.

In just about 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low, you will have the most tender mouthwatering roast that you can turn into…..dinner (we had it with coleslaw).  Or, if you’re feeling a little playful how about trying one of these ideas.

Pulled Pork Sliders, Carnitas,

Pozole Rojo, Brunswick Stew, chili,

Mexican Breakfast with Pulled Pork & Eggs, empanadas, eggrolls,

Asian Pork with Garlic Sauced Noodles, or

Jalapeño Pulled Pork Loaded Nachos.  That wonderful crockpot of love was dinner last night and it’s about to be Football Food Tonight!

Load ’em up!

The post Jalapeño Pulled Pork Loaded Nachos appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Christmas Leftover Chili began by assessing the leftovers in the fridge.  Here’s a quick run down of what we found.

• A hunk of Prime Rib leftover from Christmas Eve dinner.
• 1/2 lb. of ground beef & 1/2 lb. ground pork leftover from Swedish Meatballs Christmas Day.
• An open jar of Rao’s Marinara sauce that was served with our Risotto Balls on Christmas Day.
• A bottle of Victoria beer leftover from my company Christmas Party.
• A Cowboy Cut Ribeye Bone leftover from a Christmas present :)

Our Chili started by frying bacon in the cast iron skillet.  No surprise to those that know us ;)

First, dice up two onions, 5 jalapenos, and a big hunk of prime rib leftover from Christmas Eve dinner.  From this point I will give you the process pictured below.

Remove browned bacon from the cast iron skillet, then add in diced onion and jalapenos.  Saute until just tender then transfer to a large crockpot.  Now add 1/2 lb. of ground pork and 1/2 lb. of ground beef to the skillet to brown off. Now add this to the crockpot along with the cubed beef and crispy bacon.  Deglaze pan with a beer.  We used a bottle of Victoria (thank you Rogelio for the tip on this beautiful beer).  Add that to the crockpot.  Then came a can of diced tomatoes (preferably no-salt added) and about 2 cups of tomato sauce (Rao’s Marinara Sauce is to die for).

Seasoning is often to taste.  I’m giving you my best assessment of the volume of spice that went into our Christmas Leftover Chili, adjust according to taste preference.  Here we go:

• 1 Tbl. chili powder
• 1 Tbl. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. ground oregano
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground thyme
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

This is when we threw in the rib bone from our Cowboy Cut Ribeye enjoyed on Friday night.  Totally optional.

Once all the goodness was in the crockpot we set it to low and walked away.  Not too far away.  I believe crockpot cooking is meant to happen on week days, when no one is home.  Rule #1 ~ Don’t lift the lid.  Let me tell you that was nearly impossible as the aromas of this rich beefy chili seeped into the air.  That’s when we decided to turn it to high and move dinner time up an hour or two.

I’m convinced that in our house, the best dishes happen when I stay out of the grocery store and instead shop my fridge & pantry. I hope you’ll adapt and personalize this recipe and then share the results with us.

I’m also quite proud to share that Christmas Leftover Chili is the 500th Recipe posted to Lemony Thyme.  Hehe.

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